Young Adult and Tween

 Trickster’s Choice is a YA fantasy where the land is inhabited by luarin (light-skinned) and raka (dark-skinned) people.  Aly, luarin daughter of a royal knight (her mother) and her noble father, longs to be a spy.  When she is captured by slavers, she makes a wager with the trickster god Kyprioth: he’ll return her home after if she makes sure the children of her new owners are alive through the summer.

What follows is a story more of political intrigue than straight up action.  For the most part, Pierce’s writing flows well though there is one word that is used so much it started to stick out (I won’t say what just in case no one else notices).  There’s lot of side moments of characters talking so the story works well for people that want room to breathe or absorb the details of the world and characters.  Not every aspect of the world-building felt necessary to this story, but of course much fantasy is made with a series in mind.  Trickster’s Choice feels that way though it wraps up well for those looking for a stand-alone.

Though I’m not sure if Aly really struggled as much as she could have, this is a solid recommend for those who don’t mind or who seek a strong, capable heroine.  

~ Mark

John Allison’s webcomic turned comic book series, Giant Days, follows a trio of freshman college girls as they navigate their ways through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood. Susan Ptolemey, the trio’s trademark, no-nonsense cynic, is revealed to be just as much of a mess as everyone else around her. Daisy Wooten is the group's previously homeschooled, wide-eyed airhead, yet she proves to be far more daring and motivated than one might initially imagine. Esther de Groot is the group's melodramatic goth girl, whose mere presence seems to bring chaos. However, Her feelings and actions aren’t treated as random or manic so she eventually ends up being one of the most relatable characters in the entire series. 

Our main trio, along with the wide array of side characters, lend to some of the funniest and most heartfelt college stories I’ve read in some time. The choice to make this a college story as opposed to a high school one also lends itself to a more mature assortment of topics and themes, all of which are handled with maturity and whit.  Additionally, the art, handled by various illustrators throughout the series, does justice to John Allison’s writing, with instantly recognizable characters and energetic panel design. 

Giant Days is an evolution of an old formula, a throwback in the best way.

~Xenon

The Simon Snow trilogy by Rainbow Rowell is a book series older teens are bound to enjoy if you like anything fantasy especially magic and angst. It contains three books with matching titles of song lyrics: “Carry On,” “Wayward Son,” and “Any Way the Wind Blows.” It will keep you reading for a while, too. If you have time to read 1,552 pages in all of the books then this is perfect for you. 

This series follows Simon Snow, also labeled “The Chosen One” or “The Greatest Mage” if you prefer. However, with all the power this boy has, he cannot control it well. He’s like a bomb waiting to “go off.” He has been to his school for magicians (Watford) alike for nearly his entire life, and yet he is the worst at navigating this power. His friend Penelope can use it with every word like it's breathing. Even his arch nemesis can use it stronger than him - and he’s possibly a dirty vampire. 

It is a powerful series detailing identity, loss, LGBTQIA+ topics, and love. It was always filled with action, and there was never a dull moment.  I’ve read the entirety and enjoyed it. If I forgot enough of it, I would read it again but couldn’t guarantee I would ever finish it all. It wasn’t good enough for that, I don’t think. The angst was sad enough to make my heart drop in my stomach. It hurt so bad in some parts, and other parts made me smile tearfully. Even so, I don’t like the way that Rowell tried to add so many love stories in this. Towards the end, she adds a lesbian relationship (with a vaugely hinted as a trans woman in it) that was unncecessary, and really dumb for the plot. It seemed like it was shoved in just to be added.. The relationship of the gay men in this story was nicely portrayed, and didn’t come off as fetishization, whicxh is a breath of fresh air to see from women writing stories with them in it.

In all, I’d give this a solid 9/10. The story was very long to get lots of parts of characterization, and it was written in such a wonderful manner. It was fun to read, and I would definitely think it was written by a teenager from multiple points of view in the story. Not in a negative way, either. I just find that adults writing YA fiction tend to make it hard to understand . sStruggles that teenagers this day and age cannot relate to. It was fun to read because it was accurate and not hard to believe. The teenagers aren’t acting like kids, but rather young adults. I’d recommend it for LGBTQIA+ teens, and even people who love fantasy who aren’t part of the community.

~ Xenon

John Allison’s webcomic turned comic book series, Giant Days, follows a trio of freshman college girls as they navigate their ways through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood. Susan Ptolemey, the trio’s trademark, no-nonsense cynic, is revealed to be just as much of a mess as everyone else around her. Daisy Wooten is the group's previously homeschooled, wide-eyed airhead, yet she proves to be far more daring and motivated than one might initially imagine. Esther de Groot is the group's melodramatic goth girl, whose mere presence seems to bring chaos. However, Her feelings and actions aren’t treated as random or manic so she eventually ends up being one of the most relatable characters in the entire series. 

Our main trio, along with the wide array of side characters, lend to some of the funniest and most heartfelt college stories I’ve read in some time. The choice to make this a college story as opposed to a high school one also lends itself to a more mature assortment of topics and themes, all of which are handled with maturity and whit.  Additionally, the art, handled by various illustrators throughout the series, does justice to John Allison’s writing, with instantly recognizable characters and energetic panel design. 

Giant Days is an evolution of an old formula, a throwback in the best way.

~Harshil

Sheets by Brenna Thummler is a graphic novel I would recommend for a middle-schooler. It takes place in the late 1990s, and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The artwork is extraordinarily done. Anatomy, color profile, backgrounds, and the overall artstyle is worth the read. Thummler keeps a color scheme of dull purples and compliments them under this tone with other bright colors, which works out amazing for the mood of the graphic novel. It takes us through the story of Marjorie Glatt, a young adult who is facing the troubles of middle school. She is still mourning the loss of her mother, and her father who has never been the same since. Marjorieruns a laundromat that used to be her mother’s before her tragic death. She cares for her kid brother a on top of balancing school, home life, and her work. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to make others happy or stay happy herself.

This is a wonderful story detailing struggles that middle schoolers experience. Loss, depression, bullies, school, and a fight for popularity. Marjorie struggles to fit in with her peers, and in that way, she feels like an outcast. A ghost, if you will. It’s not until she meets an actual ghost until her life turns around for the better.

Sheets has earned the Barnes and Noble “Best Book of 2018” award. I use the word “earned” for good reason. This book was quite good, and it kept me captivated enough to read in one sitting. There was never a dull moment, and yet I don't even feel that the book was rushed, either. There is a second book, “Delicates,” that was released in 2021. Even though the book was good, I like the way it left off as is. I have not read the second, so I cannot state my opinion on it. I do not plan on reading it, because the story does not need any more.

In the end, I give this book a rating of 6.5/10. I could not get connected to the characters as well except for Wendell, the ghost boy. I wish he could have been given more personality than he was given. I could not connect well with Marjorie, even if our stories were alike. The side characters could have been developed more along with the main antagonist. There were some things that could have been done better, but I still liked it. I was able to read it all and enjoy the story as an easy, relaxed read.

~ Xenon

Grim Grinning Ghosts is the third volume of the Tales of the Haunted Mansion series. However, the volumes are independent of one another and can be read in any order.  Amicus Arcane is the mansion librarian and credited as the book’s author.   In each volume, Amicus reads scary tales to the mansions guests that in some way connect to the main story.  Think of them as similar to the Twilight Zone or Creepshow episodes.  

Grim Grinning Ghosts begins with three unsavory types planning to rob the mansion while posing as movers.  The stories Amicus tells them relate to the items they come across such as piano and a sarcophagus.  The book’s targeted audience is primarily tweens, yet I was engaged because of the writer’s voice and use of language.  There’s enough tongue-in-cheek humor to satisfy an adult’s need for whimsy.  Occasionally, the book breaks the fourth wall to wink at the audience in bold-faced, foreboding language with a touch of self-awareness.   The stories are easy to digest without the sense of “dumbing down.”

Overall, the stories are fun, concise, and good for readers of all agrees.   Enter the mansion if you dare, foolish mortal.

~Mark

As a fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, this book caught my eye.  I didn’t know at first that it is for tweens.   It didn’t matter.  It was a blast to read.

"The Fearsome Foursome" is the first volume of a four book set called Tales from the Haunted Mansion.  Willa, Tim, Steve and Noah, middle school horror enthusiasts, are trapped in a spooky mansion listening to the librarian tell scary stories about each of them.  Though the tales are rooted in horror, the author uses comedy to break the tension and insert dry wit, which makes this enjoyable for adults.  The story breaks the fourth wall in having the librarian talk directly to the reader in a spooky and sarcastic manner.  The voice is as enticing, sometimes more so, than the actual story.

"The Fearsome Foursome" is a solid horror-comedy entry enjoyable for tweens and above.   Now, if I can find my way back to Disneyland…

~Mark

Twelve year old Rowan is next in line to become Queen while her twin brother Rhydd is supposed to become the next Royal Monster Hunter.  However, Rowan would prefer to be the Royal Monster Hunter and Rhydd would make a better king.  Unfortunately, tradition dictates that the oldest must become the next ruler.  But when Rhydd becomes injured and is unable to fulfill his duties as a Monster Hunter, Rowan finds herself doing what she has always dreamed of - chasing a monster.

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying is the first book in the Monster Slaying series by Kelley Armstrong.  This was a fun book to read.  It was filled with humor and lots of mythical creatures (I want a jackalope!).  Rowan was able to overcome her weaknesses, learn from her mistakes and experience the power of kindness.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

~Lise

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins is about a boy named Cal who moves in with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Hannah after his mom dies of cancer. Cal’s father is unable to care for him due to being in prison. Both Cal and Hannah struggle to adjust to the new living arrangements. Cal doesn’t feel as though he is fully accepted in his new home or school, and lives in fear that his abusive dad will take him away when he gets out of jail. As a way of compensating, he makes up stories and plays pranks. Hannah is used to being an only child. She is having a hard time learning to share her life with her cousin and doesn’t fully understand why Cal acts out in response to feeling scared or threatened.

Here’s the catch. This book is written entirely in verse. I have to admit that I found it difficult to read at first. It took me about a third of the book before I was able to read it without being distracted by the structure of the writing.  However, once I adjusted I was able to read it like any other book.  This was an amazing story.  The emotional content of this book was off the chart!  I may have gotten a little teary at times.  Make sure you read the author’s note at the end. It makes the story even more heart wrenching.

~Lise

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart was one of those books that after I finished reading, I was dying to talk about it with somebody. ANYBODY.  It is a perfectly crafted novel with an ending that had me shook. 

Cadence Eastman Sinclair is the main character. The book switches back and forth between the summer she was fifteen and the current one, a few years later. Cadence spends every summer on her family’s private island, along with her immediate and extended family. On the island, she spends most of her time with her three closest friends: her cousins Mirren and Johnny, as well as Gat, a close family friend and love interest. During her fifteenth summer, Cadence underwent something so traumatizing that she spends the next two years in a haze of amnesia, debilitating migraines, and painkillers, trying to piece together exactly what happened.  

I loved this book for many reasons. On top of the intriguing plot, the writing was superb. Lockhart uses descriptive language expertly without it ever being too much. I also liked how she incorporates short fairy tales she created throughout the book which provides clues to the overall mystery. Honestly, everyone should read this book. But remember, if anyone asks you how it ends...just lie.

~Becca

Tune it Out by Jamie Sumner is a story about music, acceptance, great friendship and overcoming personal difficulties. Lou is a 12 year old girl with an amazing singing voice. Lou’s mother makes her perform at fairs, street corners, and coffee shops in the hopes that she will be discovered. This is difficult for Lou because she is terrified of crowds and loud noises but she does it because she loves her mother and because they need the money. 

After a car accident, Child Protective Services takes Lou away from her mom and places her with her aunt and uncle. She is forced to start over in a new home and school. With the help of her aunt, uncle, and a new friend, Lou learns both how to accept and stand up for herself and that it is okay to ask for help.

Tune it Out explores difficult topics such as poverty, homelessness, foster care, and sensory disorders. You can feel Lou’s fear and confusion and hope throughout the book.  It is a great story about learning to trust not only yourself, but others around you, and that you don’t need to deal with everything alone. 

~Lise

The emperor is dead, and five new candidates are chosen to compete for the emperorship.  However, these competitors are not exactly first picks.  Each represents one of the five major noble houses, and has their own dragon pet/partner.  There’s a bookworm with a magical secret, a warrior turned monk, an illegitimate thief, a low-born servant and a cutthroat aristocrat.  The story begins with their choosing and soon jumps into the competition where one will be crowned and the rest cut (read: killed).

All of the above is explained fairly quickly in House of Dragons.  The chapters alternate from their point of views, making it a bit hard to juggle.  Thankfully, the chapters are usually only a few pages, quickening the pace and switching from one character to another before you forget details about any of them.

The characters are fairly simple to begin with, a necessary step for the reader to help keep track of who’s who.  They become more fleshed out as the story progresses, some more than others though never to the full extent of a standard “one main character” story.  It can be a bit much to remember all the names thrown at you from the five contestants to their dragons and noble house members.   World building seems to take a back seat.  The empire is basically a version of Europe, and the nobility, creatures and magic are pretty standard—nothing too unique to set it apart from others.

About three quarters through, the plot shifts in tone from action to mystery, and that shift in gears may play with a reader’s expectations.  I also wasn’t sure if this book was only a starter to a series.  It is, with some details only glossed over though it works well enough as a standalone.   

Consider House of Dragons if you are looking for a character driven story as opposed to one with a strong, unique fantasy setting.  I was looking more for the latter.  However, you may well find yourself wanting to revisit the characters and checking out the next book in the series.

~Mark

Based off the cover, I expected a sweet story about a gay couple and their daughter when I first picked up My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame. Instead, I was met with so much more. The story details the life of Yaichi, a Japanese man and father to Kana. Yaichi had a twin brother named Ryoji who’s recently deceased. One day, a Canadian man named Mike shows up on a visit to Japan. Mike is the former husband of Ryoji and still struggles with the loss of his beloved husband. Even though Yaichi misses his brother and regrets not spending more time with him, he hides his feelings. His guilt takes over, keeping him up at night with multiple flashbacks. Even when he looks in the mirror or at his shadow, he only sees his brother. Eventually, Mike, Yaichi, and Kana live together as Mike spends time in Japan with the brother who looks so much like his dearly departed husband. There is a rollercoaster of emotions that travel through you with this manga. 

My Brother’s Husband is a very accurate representation of being gay in today’s world. With depictions of homophobia throughout most people wouldn’t realize being there.* With accurate examples of what being a homosexual is, not what most media portrays the lifestyle - not all rainbows and glitter, but the struggle one has to go through in keeping their identity a secret, and with no way of expressing who they really are - How it feels when the people you love will not accept you because of something you can’t control, and the fact that it’s normalized. Like this in America, it’s far worse in Japan.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Japanese culture. * Unlike other manga, this book has a less anime-like style, and takes on a more American cartoon approach with more accurate anatomy as well as more realistic backgrounds. The book has multiple parts in which they explain certain Japanese words, places, and foods to the Canadian man, Mike - it’s a great opportunity for you to learn!

Overall, I give this book a solid 7.5/10. I loved the originality in the plot, which I'd never seen before. The art style was immaculate, and so was the writing. A heart wrenching story that I highly recommend to anyone wanting a good book to sit down and read in one sitting!

-Xenon

My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi is an action-packed manga I’d recommend for teens and adults who love superheroes and people with superpowers. I myself love Marvel movies, and found they were similar! In seventh grade, all my friends were recommending this series to me. A lot of them had watched and read all that's out to date, which consists of twenty-six volumes, and an ongoing eighty-eight episode anime adaptation. Along with this, there are two movies, which are Two Heroes and Heroes Rising.

My Hero Academia is the story of people in modern Japan who over the years developed abilities catered to them called “quirks.” Eighty percent of them have these quirks, which are used for good and bad - the UA Heroes Academy trains the children wanting to fight for the good of humans. The plot focuses on little Izuku Midoriya (nicknamed “Deku” by his childhood “friend” Bakugou. “Deku” translated to “useless person”). Izuki is a part of the 20% of individuals who do not have a quirk (hence the nickname calling him useless). As a child, he’d always wanted one, and is distraught when he finds out from the doctor that he will never develop one like the other kids who did. Or so he thought...

Following his story, Deku meets his favourite hero, All Might. All Might is slowly losing strength, and needs a predecessor to function as the new All Might. Izuku’s dedicated attitude leaves him to be that person. Eating a strand of All Might’s hair left him with All Might’s quirk of superstrength, agility, and reflexes. The quirkless boy now resembles one of the nation’s most infamous heroes. Deku tries to live up to All Might’s acclaimed persona, fighting to the top after making it into UA Heroes Academy. Battling villains with the students, making and breaking friendships and enemies, this story is one of my favourite reads.

As for which I like better, the anime or the manga, I’d have to say the manga to be completely honest. The anime has wonderful voice work, and the art is great. However, Kōhei Horikoshi made a distinct effort in drawing proportional bodies to what people look like in the manga. The anime, however, slimmed them down. I’ve always thought that the original art that the author put her blood, sweat, and tears in is better than a version that's been edited over and over again. I fully believe here that the book was better - even if it’s manga. I do recommend the anime which can be found on Crunchyroll.

Overall, I highly recommend this one.The artstyle is captivating, and the writing is funny, tear jerking at times, and keeps you at the edge of your seat. You’ll fall in love with the hotheaded Bakugou, the simple Izuku, cheerful Uraraka, leaderlike Iida, and even the plain stupid Kaminari. You’ve got to meet them - only in a book like My Hero Academia. 

~Xenon

Chirp by Kate Messner is a quietly powerful book with a lot of heart. The summer after seventh grade, Mia and her family move from Boston to Vermont. Mia’s parents decide a change of scenery might be just what she needs after she broke her arm falling off a balance beam during gymnastics. There is also another reason for the move: Mia’s grandmother, who runs an edible cricket farm in Vermont, recently suffered a stroke and her parents want to make sure that she is getting along okay. However, when they get there they find that she is doing surprisingly well. Not only that, but she has a mystery on her hands: someone is trying to sabotage the cricket farm! Mia makes it her mission to solve the mystery and help save the cricket farm. But Mia’s mother wants her to sign up for two summer camps: “one for the body and one for the mind.” So on top of solving a mystery, Mia must also attend Warrior camp and a camp for young entrepreneurs. 

Throughout the book we learn that Mia has a secret, one that she has not told anyone. This secret is strongly affecting Mia’s ability to believe in herself. As the story progresses, Mia gains the strength to address this secret. She is empowered by the friends she makes at camp as well as the love her family surrounds her with. 

This story has something for everybody: a mystery, the coming of age experience, friendships and families, athletics, and entrepreneurship. I really liked how the book managed to incorporate lots of factual information without ever feeling too “textbook-y.” I also loved how it made me feel so many strong emotions: there were parts where I laughed and others where I cried. I highly recommend this story for readers who want a balance of serious issues but also some light-hearted summer fun.

~ Becca

If I had known that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ended on a cliffhanger, I wouldn’t have read it.  The trend for series can make it difficult for the fantasy reader who only wants to commit to standalones.  However, once I finished it, I moved right on to the next one with no regrets. 

Jacob Portman’s grandfather died recently, mysteriously, and violently, leaving behind cryptic last words and old photographs.  In trying to find meaning to them, Jacob travels to Wales where he comes across a group of “peculiar” children.  Each has a unique ability such as controlling plant growth or floating, and they live under the watchful eye of their prim and proper caretaker, Miss Peregrine.  Character-wise, Jacob isn’t much different from any other teenager you might find in a YA novel.  However, author Ransom Riggs manages to create a unique personality for Jacob through thought patterns and vocabulary, all done in the first-person.  Each peculiar child has their own behavior and speech that made it easy to see them as individuals instead of parts of a group.

Vintage photographs serve as illustrations and inspirations for the story.  Riggs has accumulated photographs from a variety of sources and implements their subjects as characters and settings.   This manipulates the reader’s sense of time, adding a rare element of immersion, and time does play a key element in the story.  This series entry serves more as an introduction to this peculiar world though it does have its own story arc including villains.  These baddies are not the only threat to Jacob’s place in peculiar-dom.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children has elements both familiar and new for young adult fantasy readers. Read it, enjoy the photos, and ask yourself what is peculiar about you.

~ Mark

Emily Duncan’s debut novel Wicked Saints might be one of the best YA books that I have read all year. It was so good that the second I finished it I went to my laptop and ordered the sequel.

Fair warning, the names of the three main characters initially feel a bit strange, but after the first fifteen pages or so I got used to them. The three main characters are Nadezhda Lapteva (Nadya for short), Malachiasz Czeochowicz, and Serefin Meleski. Nadya is a girl tasked with the fate of ending a war and saving her people, the Kalyazi. Nadya is the only one who can actually speak to the pantheon of gods her people worship and borrow their various powers. The goddess of death herself is Nadya’s patron god. Serefin is the prince of Tranavia, the kingdom Kalyazan is at war with. He is one of the best blood mages and is tasked with hunting Nadya and killing her. Finally, we have Malachiasz, a mysterious blood mage who has defected from Tranavia. Malachiasz wants Nadya to help him assassinate the Tranavian king in a desperate bid to end the war.But allegiances can shift and you never know who you can trust in this book....

This book is very dark and not for the faint of heart. The kingdoms are at war because Kalyazan worships the gods and believes that Tranavians are heretical. Tranavians turned their backs on the gods years ago in favor of a blood magic that requires them to cut themselves in order to use it. This is a book full of blood and gore, which is probably why I liked it so much. I love books that are dark and twisted.  What I enjoyed the most about this book were  the plot twists that abounded throughout the story.  Seriously, the ending wrecked me.  I also liked how it plays with the idea that people who you think are villains maybe...aren’t? And people who think they are being heroes might be someone else’s villain…

~Becca

I just finished reading Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte and I LOVED IT!!!  Scholte manages to incorporate so many different aspects into the world she built without it ever getting bogged down. Seriously, this book has so many things going on in it: a murder-mystery, fantasy, romance, science fiction, and a thief that you can’t help but love. 

The story is set in the kingdom of Quadara, which is split into four separate regions each with its own queen. The regions are Archia, Eonia, Toria, and Ludia. Each quadrant is known for its own unique values and philosophies which range in agriculture, technology, commerce, curiosity and entertainment. Having these different quadrants allows Scholte to create a world where sci-fi technology coexists with the regular world. For example, Archia still uses horse drawn carriages while Eonia employs high tech technology such as dermasuits and comm chips. 

This regular world includes Keralie, a seventeen year old girl who also happens to be the best thief in all of Quadara. She lives and works for a blackmarket auction house, located in the seedy underbelly of Archia. One day she gets an assignment to steal some “comm chips” from a messenger. Comm chips are recorded memories of people that you can ingest in order to see what they have seen. Due to a series of events Keralie ends up stealing and ingesting chips that show all four of Quadara’s queens being murdered in horrific ways. This sets her on a journey to try to help her kingdom and her queens. But when a thief attempts to be a hero you know there is bound to be a few hiccups along the way...It also helps that there is a very handsome and mysterious Eonian boy named Varin who accompanies Keralie on her journey. 

At the heart of this book is a crackling good murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last chapter. Twists and turns abound throughout the story. This is one YA book you don’t want to miss!

~Becca

Bloom is a delight. Most of the time I use graphic novels as my putdownable, on-the-go books: something to be read in the back of an Uber, on my lunch break, or during commercial breaks.  But I found myself unable to put Bloom down until the very last page. Done completely in tones of blue, the illustrations had such a calming effect. On top of its enchanting graphics, Bloom has such a sweet story (and not just because it is set in a bakery!) 

The story follows Ari and Hector’s growing relationship. Ari is a sensitive young adult whose family owns and runs a struggling local bakery in a beach-side town. All Ari wants to do is move to the big city with his friends/fellow band members but he can’t because his parents need him to work at their bakery. But if Ari can find someone to replace him then he is free to go…

Hector is an energetic and open-hearted young adult whose grandmother recently passed away. He arrives in Ari’s town with the goal of cleaning up his grandmother's house. Even though he is taking a break from culinary school, Hector loves baking more than anything. So it only makes sense that he starts working at Ari’s family’s bakery. After becoming close friends, something starts to blossom between Hector and Ari. But will Ari ruin it all by pushing away those around him? Or can he let love bloom? 

As a reader, I could really relate to Ari’s struggles and experiences. They were ones that I have experienced during my life. That feeling of wanting to escape your home and family for a bigger and better place but feeling obligated to stay. Of feeling inadequate because of how hard it is to pinpoint exactly why he is so unhappy and dissatisfied but not knowing exactly what it is he needs to feel happy again. And how freeing it is when you realize that maybe love and happiness isn’t about finding a new and exciting place to make you feel complete but is about finding the right person who is that place. 

~Becca

The Kingdom is a young adult (YA) science fiction novel set in a futuristic fairy tale themed amusement park called the Kingdom. This park is no Six Flags though. In this park “happily-ever-afters” are mandatory. Ana and her six sisters are Fantasists created to make all the park’s guests’ dreams come true. Built not born, Ana and her sisters are everything you could want in a fairy tale princess: beautiful, charming, perfect, and built with the core command of pleasing guests. But all is not right in The Kingdom; there is a darkness at work, a darkness that threatens to destroy all Ana thinks she knows of her world. When one of the park’s employees is murdered, Ana is the prime suspect and is put on what is to become the trial of the century. 

Ana noticeably grows and develops over the course of the novel.  At the beginning of the book, she is extremely naive, placing all of her trust in the Kingdom.  When her sister Nia starts to voice concern and resentment over how they are treated by both Kingdom employees and park goers alike, Ana worries more about Nia mentally malfunctioning rather than putting any stock in her concerns.  But then Ana meets Owen, a new park employee and through her relationship with him, she develops and grows. He treats her like a person rather than a Fantasist. As their relationship deepens, she starts to wonder about herself, her sisters, and what their place in the world is and should be.

This novel forces the reader to ask themselves some pretty interesting questions. In addition to using the standard chapter format, Rothenberg incorporated other formats such as photographs, trial transcripts, interviews, and advertisements. It really helped immerse me in the world that she built.   The Kingdom is perfect for fans of Westworld  

~Becca 

Written by Marieke Nijkamp and illustrated by Manuel Preitano, The Oracle Code is an excellently executed graphic novel. Set in Gotham (yes, that Gotham) the story focuses on teenage hacker extraordinaire Barbara Gordon. Unfortunately for Barbara, within the first few pages she is shot leaving her paralyzed below the waist. As a result, she is packed off to the Arkham Center for Independence to undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. This is where the story really takes off, because something about Barbara's new surroundings is wrong. Kids keep going missing...and it is up to our star hacker to figure out what's really going on. 

But this story is more than just a mystery, because to be honest, at first Barbara is not the most likable protagonist. Her new disability has left her unsure of herself causing her to lash out at everyone. She initially refuses to let herself grow close to the kids around her even though they clearly want to be friends.  She is also initially resistant to solving the mystery surrounding her because the last time she tried solving a puzzle all it got her was a gunshot wound. But as the story progresses, Barbara slowly starts to let people in and realizes that being in a wheelchair does not define her. She is still a hacker and she still has a mystery to solve. 

~Becca